What Are Court Records?

Limiting Access to Case Records

In some instances, you may be able to ask the court to keep some or all information in a case private. There are several different ways to ask that the court limit public access to a case record, depending on your situation. See the following publications for detailed information on how to request access be limited.

Expungement

If your case meets certain conditions, you may be able to ask the court to expunge the criminal record. Expungement completely removes a criminal record from public view. Expunged information will not show up in background checks. You are not legally required to tell employers about an expunged record. Make sure you keep copies of all the expungement documents and the expungement order.

See the following publication for detailed information on how to request an expungement.

Additional information about expungement and the removal of criminal records from public access in Maryland can be found in the Expungement Brochure.

Background Checks

Background checks should be conducted through the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) of the Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services which maintains Maryland’s fingerprint-supported criminal identification records and criminal history record information.